Black Angel, a heavy Eurogame about competing AIs on a post-apocalyptic spaceship, was probably my most anticipated game of the show.

A roving steampunk band serenades con-goers in the exhibition hall.

Reavers of Midgard: it's colorful.

Afternoon, sir.

Giant Ticket to Ride: London.

Horrified was a big hit (perhaps owing to prolific board game reviewer Tom Vasel's ringing endorsement) but it seemed like a rather bog-standard co-op to me, albeit with a cool theme (chasing down classic monsters from Universal Studio's catalogue).

Funko Pop board game? Why not.

Tired of drinking non-geek-branded coffee? One company has a solution.

Planet is a tile-laying game where you stick magnetic terrain tiles onto a magnetic Earth-ball.

In Bargain Quest, players take on the role of the shopkeepers who sell magical gear to monster-fighting adventurers.

Forget your bag of holding? No problem.

Periodic: A Game of the Elements is an educational board game from Genius Games.

Publisher CMON continues its PlayStation-game licensing with the God of War card game.

I'll play almost any game with an Old West theme; thankfully, Sierra West seems to be another good one.

Need a mounted dragon head? You've come to the right place.

Cloudspire has elements of MOBAs and tower-defense games, and you can play cooperatively or in PvP mode.

Isle of Cats: another Tetris-style tile-laying game, this time with cats.

Bosk is an attractive little area majority game about trees and their falling leaves.

INDIANAPOLIS—Gen Con, America's biggest and longest-running board game extravaganza, held its 52nd annual convention in downtown Indianapolis this past weekend, and we were there once again to take it all in. The convention is kind of like a giant board game release party, where publishers unleash their newest games to the most committed and enthusiastic tabletop gamers. A total of 70,000 unique attendees made the trek to Indiana this year for the self-proclaimed "best four days in gaming."

Further Reading

If you couldn't make it to the convention, you're in luck. Above, peruse the show floor from the comfort of your own electronic device. Below, enjoy a bonus gallery of some of our favorite cosplayers. But most importantly, stay tuned for our full roundup of the show's best games coming later this week. After all, this year's conference has more to offer than just the long-awaited release of Pathfinder's second edition.

Catan resources.

Abby someone... Abby Normal.

I mean, say what you want about the tenets of zombiism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.

The convention was great but I’m really disappointed in visitors and Lime and Bird scooters. IMPD and convention security were busy picking up and dealing with tons of scooters left in inappropriate places all around the convention center. The corner of S Capitol Ave and W Maryland St was flooded with scooters.

(1) Lime and Bird and whoever else wants to have scooters here need to handle their product. Don’t waste the time of local police to clean up YOUR mess! Figure out how to get a handle on it or I’m afraid more people will want a full ban. It was an embarrassment to our city.

(2) Customers who use the scooters are mostly good, but not a Gen Con 2019. They made a mess of the streets, push through foot traffic and run over people while doing it. People are fools and jerks while using the scooters and contribute to the bad reputation.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

Love to see the latest board wargames! Not as many now as in the past, when Avalon Hill and SPI were pumping out games left and right. “Victory in the Pacific” was one of my favorite games, along with games like “King Maker”.

* The best costume I saw was Powdered Toast Man. Others may have had more elaborate or fancier costumes, but you have to respect that deep of a cut.

* I didn't expect to like Thieves Den as much as I did - it's a thieving-themed worker placement/card draft game. The boss of the thieves guild got thrown in jail, and being the loyal and honorable lieutenants you are, you immediately start scheming to get his job.

* The Metal Gear Solid board game was fun. My team (I joined up by myself) managed to go 9(?) rounds without an alert, and managed to win on round 10. We were very sneaky (and lucky with die rolls). I'm now sold - too bad the Day One edition with the extra minis is now no longer available.

* Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne makes for a good deckbuilder. It's not just a cardboard version of the online game.

That Marvel game with urban terrain looks fantastic, but I know in my heart of hearts that it's probably going to be way beyond my budget and I won't have more than one chance every few years to trot it out to play. Ah well, at least the photos are nice to look at.

The convention was great but I’m really disappointed in visitors and Lime and Bird scooters. IMPD and convention security were busy picking up and dealing with tons of scooters left in inappropriate places all around the convention center. The corner of S Capitol Ave and W Maryland St was flooded with scooters.

(1) Lime and Bird and whoever else wants to have scooters here need to handle their product. Don’t waste the time of local police to clean up YOUR mess! Figure out how to get a handle on it or I’m afraid more people will want a full ban. It was an embarrassment to our city.

(2) Customers who use the scooters are mostly good, but not a Gen Con 2019. They made a mess of the streets, push through foot traffic and run over people while doing it. People are fools and jerks while using the scooters and contribute to the bad reputation.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

Sounds like Downtown Los Angeles. They are laying in the dozens all over the place. 2nd and Central on the edge of Arts Dist and Little Tokyo you can see about 70 of the things lined up every morning, then lining the sidewalks up 2nd st. Later in the day just laying all over the place. The people "managing" them and the users just dont GAF. It makes the city look more dirty then it actually is. /rant

The convention was great but I’m really disappointed in visitors and Lime and Bird scooters. IMPD and convention security were busy picking up and dealing with tons of scooters left in inappropriate places all around the convention center. The corner of S Capitol Ave and W Maryland St was flooded with scooters.

(1) Lime and Bird and whoever else wants to have scooters here need to handle their product. Don’t waste the time of local police to clean up YOUR mess! Figure out how to get a handle on it or I’m afraid more people will want a full ban. It was an embarrassment to our city.

(2) Customers who use the scooters are mostly good, but not a Gen Con 2019. They made a mess of the streets, push through foot traffic and run over people while doing it. People are fools and jerks while using the scooters and contribute to the bad reputation.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

Sounds like Downtown Los Angeles. They are laying in the dozens all over the place. 2nd and Central on the edge of Arts Dist and Little Tokyo you can see about 70 of the things lined up every morning, then lining the sidewalks up 2nd st. Later in the day just laying all over the place. The people "managing" them and the users just dont GAF. It makes the city look more dirty then it actually is. /rant

I live in Santa Monica. I remain unconvinced that the really egregious cases aren't staged by people who hate the scooters to try to make them look bad.

The convention was great but I’m really disappointed in visitors and Lime and Bird scooters. IMPD and convention security were busy picking up and dealing with tons of scooters left in inappropriate places all around the convention center. The corner of S Capitol Ave and W Maryland St was flooded with scooters.

(1) Lime and Bird and whoever else wants to have scooters here need to handle their product. Don’t waste the time of local police to clean up YOUR mess! Figure out how to get a handle on it or I’m afraid more people will want a full ban. It was an embarrassment to our city.

(2) Customers who use the scooters are mostly good, but not a Gen Con 2019. They made a mess of the streets, push through foot traffic and run over people while doing it. People are fools and jerks while using the scooters and contribute to the bad reputation.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

Sounds like Downtown Los Angeles. They are laying in the dozens all over the place. 2nd and Central on the edge of Arts Dist and Little Tokyo you can see about 70 of the things lined up every morning, then lining the sidewalks up 2nd st. Later in the day just laying all over the place. The people "managing" them and the users just dont GAF. It makes the city look more dirty then it actually is. /rant

I live in Santa Monica. I remain unconvinced that the really egregious cases aren't staged by people who hate the scooters to try to make them look bad.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

There needs to be designated drop off points/parking for them.Businesses could contribute to the cause by building their own scooterparking. Yes they could also require you to pay. You are correct though,get a handle on it or someone else will and they might not like the results.

Fat, out-of-shape Thor was the best thing to happen to wannabe cosplayers in a long time. I think I saw 20 guys in pajamas and a random bathrobe (or kimono in one case) holding everything from a foam ax to a toilet plunger.

There was a lot of great cosplay. But this character has lowered the bar.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

There needs to be designated drop off points/parking for them.Businesses could contribute to the cause by building their own scooterparking. Yes they could also require you to pay. You are correct though,get a handle on it or someone else will and they might not like the results.

Even more dangerous were the riders that weaved across three and four lane downtown roads in the middle of traffic, creating a tense driving environment and huge safety risk for the scooter riders.

On another note not mentioned in the article: Lyft had a huge presence and those drivers were going non-stop from Thursday through Sunday. I rode 6-8 times and every ride was great. Professional drivers, genuinely interested in the con and always on-time with clean vehicles. I didn't see any vehicles from any of the other rideshare services.

That Marvel game with urban terrain looks fantastic, but I know in my heart of hearts that it's probably going to be way beyond my budget and I won't have more than one chance every few years to trot it out to play. Ah well, at least the photos are nice to look at.

I was thinking the exact same thing. It looks amazing but where the heck could I store it?

The convention was great but I’m really disappointed in visitors and Lime and Bird scooters. IMPD and convention security were busy picking up and dealing with tons of scooters left in inappropriate places all around the convention center. The corner of S Capitol Ave and W Maryland St was flooded with scooters.

(1) Lime and Bird and whoever else wants to have scooters here need to handle their product. Don’t waste the time of local police to clean up YOUR mess! Figure out how to get a handle on it or I’m afraid more people will want a full ban. It was an embarrassment to our city.

(2) Customers who use the scooters are mostly good, but not a Gen Con 2019. They made a mess of the streets, push through foot traffic and run over people while doing it. People are fools and jerks while using the scooters and contribute to the bad reputation.

I believe the scooters could be great, but the way people use them are embarrassing and makes our city looks like trash. On top of that security and safety was put at risk while resources were dealing with the mess that the scooter companies should have been responsible for. I wish I had gotten photos. I kind of hope the police impounded the scooters and fined the companies. 😡

Love to see the latest board wargames! Not as many now as in the past, when Avalon Hill and SPI were pumping out games left and right. “Victory in the Pacific” was one of my favorite games, along with games like “King Maker”.

Fat, out-of-shape Thor was the best thing to happen to wannabe cosplayers in a long time. I think I saw 20 guys in pajamas and a random bathrobe (or kimono in one case) holding everything from a foam ax to a toilet plunger.

There was a lot of great cosplay. But this character has lowered the bar.

I did that as a sort of last minute costume for the local Comic Con...err..."Pop Culture Con" (they renamed it this year, I assume trademark issues).

Bought a similar looking sweater (apparently this is the hard part - I actually got a lot of compliments about finding one that was a close match, a lot of people were having trouble finding one), some knit fingerless gloves, an appropriate wig, wore it over a white undershirt and pajama pants, put on my sunglasses, done.

Although I guess that was still putting in some effort to be somewhat accurate to the movie. Definitely saw lower effort versions. (Also got mistaken for The Dude multiple times, but hey, two cosplays for the price of one I guess.)

EDIT: Though, ironically, being one of the most normal costumes I've worn (as in, it's pretty much just off the shelf, everyday clothes), it was probably the one I felt most awkward wearing...I realized walking through downtown that I also resembled a stereotypical homeless person...

I've never been, but are TTRPGs no longer enough of a thing at GenCon for it to get any coverage?

Unless there's a big new release, they're not going to garner much attention. A friend of mine who works for Wyrmwood was running a booth there, but that's not going to get much attention when there's hundreds of brand new board games on display.

If you really want TTRPGs, you'll have to wait for DragonCon or PAX Unplugged.

Fat, out-of-shape Thor was the best thing to happen to wannabe cosplayers in a long time. I think I saw 20 guys in pajamas and a random bathrobe (or kimono in one case) holding everything from a foam ax to a toilet plunger.

There was a lot of great cosplay. But this character has lowered the bar.

As someone who has never attempted cosplay, I have to admit that while I walked through the convention center during my lunch break on Friday, I realized that with my beard I could totally cosplay Thor. Endgame version of Thor. You are very correct that the bar has indeed been lowered to a height that is reachable by one such as myself.

Fat, out-of-shape Thor was the best thing to happen to wannabe cosplayers in a long time. I think I saw 20 guys in pajamas and a random bathrobe (or kimono in one case) holding everything from a foam ax to a toilet plunger.

There was a lot of great cosplay. But this character has lowered the bar.

I'd argue that Deadpool's entrance into the pop culture lexicon did more damage. The costume might be slightly more effort than a bathrobe and an axe, but it's still relatively trivial, and 9 times out of 10 the wearer treats it as carte blanche to be an obnoxious person to everyone.

Personally speaking, I'd probably end up as either Endgame Thor or a skinny version of Rufus from Street Fighter 4 if I attempted to cosplay.

I've never been, but are TTRPGs no longer enough of a thing at GenCon for it to get any coverage?

I attended the con and spent 29 hours playing TTRPGs (over the course of four days), but what sort of coverage of the genre were you expecting from Ars? Pictures of vendors selling games that have been available for awhile? Rooms full of people playing various games? Other than Pathfinder 2e (which admittedly is a big deal, that's why Ars has a whole article just for that), there wasn't a lot of new stuff happening in the TTRPG world.

I've never been, but are TTRPGs no longer enough of a thing at GenCon for it to get any coverage?

Pretty much every ballroom in the hotels surrounding the convention hall is dedicated to playing TTRPGs. It's still a very huge thing.

However, countless photos of people sitting around tables with pencils and sheets of paper and a few dice isn't as visually appealing as boardgame artwork. So I can understand the reluctance of showcasing that with pictures.

Love to see the latest board wargames! Not as many now as in the past, when Avalon Hill and SPI were pumping out games left and right. “Victory in the Pacific” was one of my favorite games, along with games like “King Maker”.

Miniature wargaming gaming while similar, is not really the same thing. I’ve been playing board war games since the early 1980s and I never knew a single person who played with miniatures. Miniatures themselves can be a hobby, while the time and costs just to build them limits them to a much smaller sub-section of wargamers.

In any case, is there a problem with us coming to this conference or really any other gaming conference like it? I assume all are welcome.

The only annoying ones I've seen are the aforementioned Deadpool army and the occasional impromptu photoshoot in the middle of the floor where traffic is trying to flow. Otherwise they're either impressive in their attention to detail/creativity or impressive in the "you tried" category, and conventions really wouldn't be the same without them.

I went. First thing I think of when I see this article is damn, there was a giant statue of Cthulhu and not one of my party members had enough sanity left to suggest, hey we need to get a picture. Missed that one. I'm guessing it was close to hall D which for the first time, I didn't even step foot into this year.

Damn you Mammoth Catan and me not getting a time slot. They need more copies. Speaking of which, why can't I buy a floor sized Catan? Even one using the tiles on the floor at the booth? Four years running now, I've said I wanted a mammoth Catan for my home. Still no dice.

As for RPGs. There's still plenty of RPGs. Not crazy that Hero Lab is abandoning their stand alone version in favor of a subscription model plus rule set payments. With no path to move my $200 of ruleset expansions into the newest version of Hero Lab, I'm seriously reconsidering any upgrade purchase. Too bad because Shadowrun 6 and Pathfinder 2 are only in their online version. Tried explaining how shitty GenCon internet connectivity is when playing and why an online only version of Hero Lab was a bad idea, but got the ole fine don't use it. Deal with it attitude from the vendor. Again, considering not spending more money with them.

We played 12 hours of TTRPGs, 2 hours on the Artemis Bridge simulator and did a two hour escape room which we thought was well done for a portable escape room. The bridge simulator I great fun but the graphics are getting so dated that I'm beginning to treat it like the MechWarrior pods with 3DFX graphics. I can spend my money elsewhere. Still with a full crew of friends, the game mechanics are there for a solidly fun time.

There were just shy of 20,000 ticketed events. Nearly 5000 of them were for TTRPG's. Plenty of presence, plenty of new books and games for sale... Sure, a lot of them are niche games though, harder to get traction when the publisher is targeting 1% of the TTRPG market.